Sunday, May 8, 2016

Mother's Day Reflections

Happy Mother's Day to any moms who may be reading this. :) I'd like to thank my two very special moms today. I already gave them cards, but I like to mention them here on the blog, too.

Mom, you've been there for me every step of the way. The older I get and the more I experience motherhood, the more I realize just how much you've done for me through the years. You're incredible, and I love you. :)

Mom Prewett, thanks for raising a wonderful man. He's a pretty amazing husband, and that says a lot about your parenting. ;) I'm so thankful to have a mother-in-law who is also a friend, someone I can talk to and confide in. Thank you! :)

My Mother's Day today was not exactly the type of holiday you see on all of the Hallmark ads. ;)

My morning began at 6:30 am, when Oldest Gal came in and informed me that her dresser was covered with ants. So much for sleeping in.

I had to break up an argument between Oldest Gal and Little Gal within twenty minutes of getting up. I might possibly have grumbled "Happy Mother's Day to me," as I left the room, which led to the girls remembering it was Mother's Day and giving me the cards they'd made for me at school.

I made sausage, pancakes, and waffles for everyone for breakfast. So much for breakfast in bed.

I had a hard time finding a skirt to wear that wasn't too snug or too unflattering, even after two sessions of Skinny Jeans. Sigh. Stupid carbs from last week, coming back to haunt me.

I woke my sleeping husband up at 8:00 am to see if he was going to make it to church. He worked a night shift on Friday night and was still recovering.

We made it to church, Hubby included, just in time for Sunday School and my triple trio practice. I tried not to think about the long afternoon ahead of me, supervising Middle Gal as she finished her Science Fair project (it's due tomorrow).

As I sat in church a while later, listening to Little Gal perform a special song for Mother's Day with three of her friends, I started thinking about my morning and the seemingly unpleasant events. Perhaps I was looking at things the wrong way.

There's not much to be thankful for about ants...or any sort of bug, for that matter. ;) But then I thought of all of the women today who would give anything to be woken up by a child, even if it was only to inform them of an ant infestation.

I thought about that argument between the girls, and how I could have been more gracious and patient in trying to help them work through it. I thought of how I'd guilt-tripped them, and how quickly Middle Gal sprang up and ran out to her backpack to get my card. Then I thought of how much growth I've seen in the girls this past year. They still argue, but they're getting better at apologizing when they've done wrong. And Oldest Gal especially has such a heart for the Lord. I need to remember that.

I thought of the excitement on my girls' faces when they saw pancakes and waffles on their plates. And the way I impressed my husband by trying something new (I'd never used our waffle maker before). I don't really like eating breakfast in bed, anyway. ;)

It's always frustrating starting a day feeling like an overfed cow. But as I watched my adorable girl finish singing and trot down the stage to sit next to me, I remembered that most of my major body changes were a result of her birth, a c-section. So I'll keep fighting that stubborn pooch at my stomach, but having Little Gal is worth suffering through a few snug skirts.

So my husband didn't get up and make breakfast or shower me with flowers and chocolate. But he worked hard this week to provide for us so I could be available for our girls.

And as for the science fair project, which Middle Gal is working on right now, it's not the most fun thing I've ever done, but it's been a good stretching experience for me. I think I actually understand the scientific method for the first time in my life. ;) Middle Gal is learning a lot, too, which is the most important thing.

You see, today shouldn't be about me getting everything I want or being pampered until I'm spoiled rotten. Today, I want to stop and think about these small moments that make up my life as it is now, ants, arguments, reports, and all. Because someday, I'm going to be sitting in an empty house, wishing for these moments again.

Being a mom has been one of the hardest things I've ever done, but also the most rewarding. God has used these three incredible, crazy, infuriating, wonderful girls to show me my faults, force me to trust in Him, and make me think about someone other than myself. I'm so blessed to be their mommy, and I'm so excited to see the beautiful young women they become, in spite of my parenting mistakes.

So here's to all of the moms out there, whether you woke up to breakfast in bed or ants who invited themselves in. Enjoy the journey, my friends. :)

8 comments:

I can sympathize with you and your feelings. I used to hate mother's day until my daughter came along. She threatened me this past weekend that if I didn't give her what she demanded, I wouldn't receive anything for Mother's Day. I had to respond back and tell her that God gave me the best Mother's Day gift ...her! So whether she is going thru her teenage hormone cycle or whether she is the sweetest kindest daughter, I am thankful that I was chosen to be a mother.

Just catching up on blogs lately and this was a great read. I love how you were able to shift your perspective into such wonderful thoughts or appreciation as this is something that I also try to do every day. When I think of my girls as being grown up and living their own lives, it makes me so sad to ever wish for things to speed up. These moments are so precious and we really do have so much to be thankful for. Happy Belated Mother's Day to you as well. :)

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About Me

I'm a stay-at-home mom with 3 little girls, happily married for 13 years to my high school sweetheart, and most importantly, a Christian. I love singing in my church, spending time with my family, and fixing up TLC dolls. I'm also hoping to eventually become a published author, but we'll see what the Lord has planned.
The other blog contributors on my team are Tess, Maggie, and Emma, my 18" dolls who write on "Jane Austen and Unicorns" about their adventures, and Belle, my 12" Disney fashion doll who shares her life stories on "Belle's Bulletins".